April 26th, 2020
We’ve heard today’s gospel story many times over the years. These two men were on their way home to Emmaus from Jerusalem after celebrating the great feast of Passover.
They were followers of Jesus. They heard Jesus preach and they heard of the miracles he’s worked among the sick and the lame.
They hoped Jesus would be the one who would redeem Israel. They hoped he would be the one who would save the Jewish people from Roman occupation….
Then it all came tumbling down. In a night and a day Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples and denied by another. He was arrested by the religious authorities and found guilty of blasphemy and condemned to death. The religious authorities pressures Pilate, a weak Roman authority to condemn Jesus to death by crucifixion.
Cleopas was amazed this man hadn’t known all this. ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem that does not know these things that have taken place? Their journey ends at the house of Cleopas and he invites Jesus to join him for supper and stay the night. During their long walk home this stranger explain to them that beginning with Moses and all the prophets the hidden message was that it was necessary that the longed for Messiah had to suffer all these humiliations and suffering as so enter into his glory.
In the midst of a simple meal sharing bread this stranger made himself known and they saw him as they never saw him before and then he was gone. They couldn’t wait to get back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples all that had happened.
Can we think on this? These two men opened their door/home to Jesus and welcomed him. Jesus in turn opened their hearts and minds to understand the ‘why’ of the humiliation and death of the one in whom they had hoped. They saw the Risen Christ.
What can happen to us when we open the door of our hearts to Christ and spend a time in prayer listening to what He has to say to us as we try to live life as He taught us? What can happen to us as we open the door of our minds and spent some time reading the Scriptures and come to see his great love for us and the challenges he puts before us?
What can happen to us when we open the door of our minds and hearts to total strangers? Strangers, who think differently, live differently, believe differently than we do?
What can happen in our lives when we open our minds and hearts to men and women of different cultures or faiths or life styles? What can happen to us when we open our minds to new insights into our Catholic faith? Jesus said, ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock.’ Will take the risk and open our door to Christ as he comes to us in the scriptures and in strangers?
| Posted in Homily |
April 25th, 2020
| Posted in Events |
April 19th, 2020
Mass, 2nd Sunday of Easter
Celebrated on Saturday April 18, 2020
In a way today’s gospel applies to us. We are those blessed ones who have not seen the Risen Christ, have not touched those open wounds and yet we believe that Christ is risen and is active in our lives as he was active in the lives of the first believers.
We can imagine the joy and excitement that exploded among the followers of Jesus when the news spread that he was alive, rose from the dead. Unbelievable.
We have the disciples gathered behind locked doors. They feared the authorities would come after them for spreading this fake news that he was alive. Jesus comes to them and blesses them with the gift of peace and power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Thomas was not there and he had great difficulty believing this news. Thomas had to see for himself. Jesus comes to them again and invites the speechless Thomas to touch, to feel his wounds. What else to Thomas say but; ’My lord and my God’?
For Thomas, faith came by hearing the voice of the risen one addressing him personally. For we who come centuries after Thomas, our faith comes through hearing the Word of God that comes to us through the Church…
We’re all finding our present situation of isolation and social distancing very difficult. So many of us are suffering from cabin fever. We want to get back with family and friends; we want to get back to work without the fear and anxiety of getting sick. We look forward to the day when we can be together as a parish family and are with one another and sing together and break the bread of the Eucharist again. It is good to remember that we are all in this together and that it is a good idea to pray for those who are touched by this virus and pray for those who have died and those who mourn them. Especially we pray for those we call ‘first responders’, the real heroes in all this.
There is a saying; Oremus pro invicem- let us pray for one another. Pray for the patience we need and the hope we need to live through these difficult times together. And when all this is over hopefully we’ll have a deeper appreciation of how much we mean to one another.
April 20th to April 26th, 2020
MONDAY – TUESDAY – HUI SAU LIN – Requested by Linda Law & Family WEDNESDAY – MIKE HATCH – Requested by Christine & Roland Kilchling THURSDAY – LEONARD MARCHIE – Requested by Teresa Marchie & Family FRIDAY – ANTONIA EVANS – Requested by Teresa Sheldrick SATURDAY – ANTONIO & GAETANO BRANCATO – Requested by the Brancato Family SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – MARCELINO FERNANDES – Requested by Tita Fernandes – 12:30 PM – ALAN BURR – Requested by Anna Taylor & Family
May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close remember those who have no options. May we who have to cancel our trips remember those that have no place to go. May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market remember those who have no margin at all. May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home. During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Living the Gospel through immediate mental health services
Mental health problems can escalate if not addressed quickly. That’s why the five Catholic Family Services agencies in the Archdiocese of Toronto offer walk-in counselling. This initiative can often meet clients’ needs without requiring longer term sessions. Clients report a clinically significant increase in confidence that they can tackle their problems. For some agencies, ShareLife is the sole funder of this important program. Thanks to your support, no one is ever turned away due to inability to pay.
Due to Covid 19 the ShareLife Collection scheduled for May 3rd has been postponed. However, our agencies continue to serve those in need. Parishioners can contribute online at sharelife.org/donate or by dropping off or mailing their contribution to the parish office.
Each month food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre. Unfortunately, with the current COVID-19 situation, we cannot accept any food donations at this time.
While we wait for updates from these outreach ministries, let us always be mindful of what they do.
Rosalie Hall assists young parents and their children to realize their potential through the provision of a wide range of child development, community, residential and educational services.
Good Shepherd provides hot meals and shelter for the homeless in our city as well as a chance to start again through the Resettlement or DARE Programs.
Although our Churches remain closed since March 15, 2020, our outreach programs and pastoral presence remain active.
Because there were no Masses celebrated with public participation, there were no offertory collections taken up. The reality is that our parishes rely on the support of their parishioners to operate through weekly offertory collections. Parish salaries, programs and ongoing operating costs (heating, water, electricity, etc.) are funded through the generosity of its parishioners. There is a challenge for the parish to maintain operations without the weekly offertory collection.
Monthly contributions to the Parish by monthly Pre-Authorized Giving or by credit card through “Donate Now” continue automatically.
You may, however, drop off your envelope at the parish office or mail it to the parish.
Please consider changing your offertory giving, at this time, to monthly Pre-Authorized Giving. Forms are available at the Parish office or on-line at the Parish website in the “Weekly Giving” section under the Finances tab.
| Posted in Bulletin |
Founded by St. Paul of the Cross, every Passionist takes a special vow to spend his or her energies in promoting remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus, the memory of the Cross, and reflection of the meaning of the Cross for the world.
Learn about Passionists and our insignia »
Companion for the Walk of the Stations of the Cosmic Earth
St. Gabriel’s Garden – Guided Sensory Reflective Walk